This holiday season is going to look different for nearly every family across America and across the world in these unprecedented times. But, there are still ways to make this holiday feel as special and joyful as possible. After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Or by baking, shopping, spending time with loved ones – take your pick!
Because we are in such trying times, spirit and cheer may seem a bit harder to reach at the moment. But, that’s no reason to throw in the towel on the holidays. Here are some positives to help us reimagine the holidays in a new light:
- Strategize Your Shopping and Get the Best Deals
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Shopping online this year has so many benefits, it’s hard to only list a few! It is not only the safest option this year, but it’s also the most convenient, as you can lounge around in your pajamas and slippers while buying your favorite items with the click of a button! More than a third of U.S. shoppers who normally shop in store for Black Friday say they won’t this year because of the pandemic.
When you’re shopping online, a smart strategy is to compile a list of stores in two categories, whether it be family/friends, male/female, younger/older, write down each person’s name in the designated category, and pick stores with deals that fit each category. For example, when shopping for the ‘younger’ category, you could choose a store like Old Navy and find all of the gifts and deals you’re looking for at one online site, comparing prices and quality with other stores as you go. Web extensions such as Honey give you the option to find the best deals on each site to get the most bang for your buck! Categorizing gift shopping can be helpful, since you can really see all of your options on one little screen – just make sure shipping estimations get those gifts to you before the big day!
- Establish New Traditions
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Incorporate the phrase ‘out with the old and in with the new’ this holiday season in order to reimagine this special time in a new and festive light. While there are many obstacles preventing families from engaging in all of the previous holiday traditions of years past, this brings in an opportunity to try new things, mix it up and spice up the holidays! For example, with everyone being home more, the holiday season is a great time to pull out some new recipes and experiment in the kitchen! Not a chef? Make up a new game that you can play either over FaceTime, through an app, or in person with your household. Games can range from variations of charades to Pictionary to a completely new one that you think you and your family would get a good laugh from! One last idea for new traditions is a family video journal, where each person makes a video talking about how this time is affecting them, what they’re grateful for this year, and what they’re looking forward to in the new year. After compiling all of the videos into a holiday family movie, it will be a gem to remember this holiday, as well as a way for you and your extended family to interact even if you’re not together face-to-face this year.
- Focus on the Positives
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Despite the vastly different and unprecedented holiday season coming upon us with possible hesitation and melancholy, we must keep reasons for optimism in mind. Experts have discovered so much more and we know much more about the virus than we did during the spring surge in March. We now know how to prevent its spread by social distancing and wearing masks. Even if we don’t love the social repercussions of smaller gatherings, canceled flights and online classes, it is not forever. We know a lot more about treating the virus and have more tools at our disposal to do so, with new treatments on the way and a vaccine in its final stages with a 95% success rate in trials. So, break out those decorations for the holidays, and don’t let this virus completely wreck your holiday spirit. At the end of the day, it is up to you how you look at the changes that are occurring in our world. Staying safe, healthy and positive are our best tools to beat this thing and still enjoy life in the process.
This virus may have many families reimagining the holidays in this 2020 season, but that doesn’t mean it should take away our cheer and spirit for the very season itself. I hope these few tips can be incorporated in your holiday season this year, and that you will be able to take this year as an opportunity for new traditions to celebrate yourself, your family and your loved ones!